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Season 9 of Simply Ming Will Be "On the Fly"

Susannah Chen — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 11:11:45 PDT

At his live cooking demo in Aspen, Ming Tsai revealed that he's mixing things up for the ninth season of Simply Ming on PBS. This time around, the show's going to be called Simply Ming: On the Fly.

"I'll be combining my love of Iron Chef and just regular cooking shows," he told the audience, recounting a visit from guest chef Jacques Pepin two weeks prior. "We had two mystery ingredients to work with; he played my sous chef, and I played his. Jacques said, 'Chef, I'm your commis,' which, if you don't work in a restaurant and don't speak French, might make you think: Jacques Pepin, a communist?"

As with Iron Chef, all the dishes on the PBS show will be made off the cuff. (Not one to be bitter about his loss, Tsai acknowledged, "I made a rookie mistake - too much stuff on a plate is no good.") "The best part of the show is that since it's done on the fly, I don't have to write 120 recipes like I normally do, and neither do the guest chefs." This season, that'll include the likes of Andrew Zimmern and Jonathan Waxman.

After a glut of redundant reality TV shows, I'm looking forward to a new cooking show with a change of pace. Do you feel the same way?

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StoryCorps Records Poignant Conversations Between Loved Ones

Heather Maddan — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 04:30:35 PDT

A conversation between parent and child can be incredibly powerful. StoryCorps is a program that records exchanges so society can benefit from them. It's not hard to be moved by one such interview between 12-year-old Joshua Littman (who has Asperger's syndrome) and his mother, Sarah Littman. It was taped five years ago and garnered national attention, but as budget cuts threaten the organization's existence, the interview has be brought back into the spotlight.

In a post on the StoryCorp website, Sarah Littman wrote:

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). No federal funding for CPB might mean the end of StoryCorps, which for me would be a deeply personal tragedy. StoryCorps is the national public broadcasting project that gives everyday Americans the chance to record a forty minute oral history interview with a loved one. A copy of each interview is archived at the Library of Congress so our great-great grandchildren can get to know us through our voice and story. CPB is StoryCorps’ primary funder.

Would you take part in this project? Who is the person you would choose and why?

Tune In Tonight: Through a Dog's Eyes

PetSugar — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:00:24 PDT

Every time I witness a service dog in action, I'm amazed by just how much these dogs can do and how well-prepared and well-matched they are with their loving owners. The second thing I think . . . is how my own pooch's training pales in comparison. I know it's hard work to train a potential service dog, but I've never seen the actual process of matching pets to people so I'm excited to check out the new documentary, Through a Dog's Eyes, airing on Apr. 21 on PBS.

This film follows puppies through the training process along with monitoring the anticipation of the humans they'll be matched up with and promises to give even traditional pet owners a way to see their dogs in a whole new light. I'll definitely tune in but watch the trailer, and let me know if you'll be watching along with me in the comments below!

What's Your Appetite For Fall's Foodie TV Lineup?

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:50:18 PDT

It's impossible not to be dismayed by the end of Summer, but there are things about Fall to anticipate, too - like the return of television shows that are actually compelling, and the novelty that comes along with brand-new programming. With regards to food-lover's fare, networks are full of tasty turnouts for Autumn; whet your appetite for the shows by matching the theme of the new show to its title. How hungry are you for Fall's food-centric lineups? There's only one way to find out!

Take the Quiz

PBS Reaches the Masses With PBS Video

GeekSugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:00:17 PDT

I often get the urge to step away from the funny YouTube videos and expose myself to something. . . educational. Gasp! Yes, you can find me watching just as many videos on Academic Earth and iTunes U, as I do on sites like Hulu. And now I've got a new one to add to the mix - PBS Video. PBS has just launched a new video portal (in beta) where you can find all sorts of clips and full length episodes from a variety of programs and topic areas. The site also gives you the ability to share videos with friends and family, or purchase a copy by clicking "Own It."

Would You Rather Watch Food Network or PBS?

partysugar — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:30:05 PDT

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Gwyneth Nabs Cookbook Deal

YumSugar — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:30:09 PST

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow's career may be headed away from the silver screen. The movie star is set to pen her first book, a cookbook, to be published in 2010.

Publishers Janklow & Nesbit have described the cookbook, entitled My Father's Daughter, as one that "focuses on the importance of togetherness at mealtime, emphasizing that cooking for your family is the ultimate expression of love."

In her tome, the movie star will undoubtedly pay homage to her late father, Bruce Paltrow. Last year, she told Us magazine that she was experimenting with favorite family recipes.

"My dad was an insane pancake maker," she said. "I'm just working on a recipe right now. I'm adapting it to make mine slightly more healthy."

Paltrow abandoned her famously stringent macrobiotic diet when pregnant with daughter Apple, and admitted that she "couldn't look at brown rice. It made me throw up." Last year, the actress starred in a documentary series, Spain . . . On the Road Again, with celebrity chef Mario Batali, and the two traveled the Iberian Peninsula, sampling regional Spanish cuisine. Around the same time, the actress also launched an online lifestyle newsletter, entitled Goop, which includes seasonal recipes and the star's favorite places to dine.

What do you think of the news? Would you pick up a copy of My Father's Daughter to try out some of the actress's original recipes?

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Eric Ripert to Star in PBS Cooking Series

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:15:40 PST

Top Chef guest judge and Le Bernardin executive chef Eric Ripert can add one more thing to his résumé: TV cooking host.

This Fall, the world renowned chef will be joining the likes of Lidia Bastianich and José Andrés on PBS. At least 10 episodes of the show, titled Avec Eric, will debut nationally, and they will be shot in HD format on location in New York, Northern California, and Italy.

The show was more than likely inspired by Ripert's personal website of the same name, where the celebrity food personality shares his favorite recipes and techniques. Watch this recent clip. Does it make you hungry for more of Avec Eric?

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TV Tonight: PBS Will Make 'Em Laugh

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:45:20 PST

Tonight PBS will begin airing the first episode of a six-part documentary called Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America, which explores all things comedic in America. The show features Amy Sedaris as narrator, and is hosted by comedy veteran Billy Crystal.

Comedian interviews to look out for in the series include Judd Apatow, Roseanne Barr, Carol Burnett, Sid Caesar, George Carlin, Larry David, Will Ferrell, Steve Martin, and Chris Rock. Pretty awesome lineup, right?

Tonight's episode is titled "Would Ya Hit a Guy with Glasses?: Nerds, Jerks, & Oddballs" and takes a look at how American outsiders have spun their exclusion from mainstream society into comedic gold. So, it's the Judd Apatow episode. You can check out the entire schedule here.

PBS also created an entire episode about humor on the World Wide Web titled, "Teh Internets" (yes, "Teh") that includes hilarious little sketches from Amy Sedaris. You can watch it right now (though it is long) if you

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Jim Lehrer For PBS's Series Make 'Em Laugh

GiggleSugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:00:00 PST

I had to watch this twice to actually get the jokes! If you've ever watched the venerable Jim Lehrer of The Newshour With Jim Lehrer, you'll know this Southern gent is all business. So when he cracks jokes to introduce PBS's retrospective on American comedy, Make 'Em Laugh, starting in January, it's just bizarre. I'm still interested in it, but Jim, please stick to the sub-prime mortgage crisis, Afghanistan, and news about Obama!